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i have a 33 gallon community tank and at the moment has plastic plants, to get real ones what are all the things i need to know before i start?

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

ps, the tank has been up since june and has
4 wagtail platys
4 sunburst platys
3 bleeding heart tetras
7 neon tetras
1 rainbow shark
1 dwarf frog
1 albino cory
1 bronze cory
all very healthy,

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

hi and welcome to FP first off what sort of lights have u got in your tank i.e tube, normal house hold buld.... Seconde do u know the total watt that they add up to as u will need this to work out the WPG (watts per gallon). You go about working this out but dividing the total watts by the amount off gallons you have. This will be the main step to finding out which plants you can keep the main thing plants need is good light. So if you could tell us or work it out we can go from there. Hope this helps

Also, I am sure you have been told to increase the # of cories by 4(at least). Right?........

Anyway, Depending on lighting, and preference, you can have a variety of plants! Maybe you should try floating plants, as these dont need much light, and thrive. When more info is given we can predetermine what is the BEST option for you!

Also, do you have any extra equipment, such as a CO2 system, or maybe a plant light bulb? You will also have to supply the depth of the gravel, and the path of fertilization you are going to use/are using. Just list these and youll be fine!

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If i were you i would go with easy/hardy plants listed on many sites. There are numerous articles etc on these plants when googled.

Might i suggest anubias or hygros?

thanks for the input guys it helps my light is a 25 watt fluorescent 120vac 60hz if i did get more corys would i be overstocked?

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

Any idea what "color" the light is? 6700 "daylight" bulbs are the best for plants, or anything near that range.

In any case, you have a very low light situation at about .75 WPG. What are the dimensions of your tank... and most importantly, how tall is the tank?

I think about the only thing you would be able to grow would be java ferns, java moss and maybe anubias. You could try floating plants, but you wouldn't be able to really have any other plants in the tank, as they'd block off the light from the bottom.

You MIGHT get by with some cryptocorenes, but I'd really stick to just the javas and possibly anubias. I think the best would be the javas, especially the moss, which could likely grow in a dark closet. Unless you plan on upgrading your light, you're really quite limited on plants, considering the low lighting levels you currently have.

I've successfully grown java fern babies in a small glass bowl using just ambient light in my room. They don't grow fast or big, but they do grow.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

the tanks 3ft by 1ft and hight is 1.6ft if i wanted to upgrade my light how big would it need to be and how long every day would the light have to be on?

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

If you do add the 4 cories, it probably will get a little crowded, and you might need to move or give away some fish, a sad thing for any hobbyists.......

Ok, with a 25 watt in a 33 gallon, that would be roughly about <.75wpg, based on the average tank height of maybe 20 in. That was the height of my mom's friend's sister's tank. Maybe that was a tall.........?

Just like they mentioned earlier, the dimensions are the key to the wpg. Light for plants is best at 6700-8400 range. They can be in the 10,000 if you wish, but it would wash out the color of the tank and its inhabitants. You wont have a forest, but you could have a little prarie, or a little DW covered in Javamoss. Anubias is a great one, and will survive almost ANYTHING! An awesome trait. Or, you could try a Java Fern, or a Windelov variety. They are a nice tall plant.



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thanks again for all the help im going to think about getting a new light and those plants you guys suggested


33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

oh boy im so happy im getting java fern soon posibly this week how will i plant it?

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

java fern likes to be attached to lava rock or on drift wood as i am sure most will tell you. You can buy them pre attached. But if not you can buy eather drift wood or lava rock and attach it using fishing line tied over the rock/wood and the fern. You can use cotten but this can break befor the fern attches its self. Saying that though i have growen java fern in gravel and it did ok but i think it likes the rock/wood better in my opinion.

hi everyone,

i got aplant yesterday and did a little bit to my tank and now it looks better but its only has 1 plant in there just so i can start slow and build up here i picture of the plant if you know the name please tell
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w280/zzz09_2007/fish2002.jpg

and heres the aquarium hope you love it
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w280/zzz09_2007/fish2001.jpg

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

That tank seems a little dark, and the plant might be a Crypt, although thats not my specialty. You should UP grade your lighting to accomodate more plants! That is a beautiful tank and the platies and plants are nicely colored!

With the larger lighting,(watts) you could accomodate more plants and possibly more fish! Actually, this is the chance to get more cories into your tank! That would prosper!

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It's possibly a crypt as goby said or maybe a small amazon. I'm not sure, as the picture is a bit blurred, but it looks rather like a plant my sister has in her aquarium.

I'd suggest that you research the plant before you add them to your aquarium, because you'll inevitably find yourself with something that has requirements outside your parameters. Trust me, I've done THAT before!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

kitten do you know any sites i can find them on???


thanks


33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

Hi,
PlantGeek can be a good starting point.

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php

The plants are nicely categorized, making the search for your required type quite easy.

-Mughal

Another good one is Tropica]http://www.tropica.com[/link] though it has artist renditions of the plants rather than an actual picture and doesn't refer to "common" names. Like mughal suggested, Plantgeek is another good site. Also, [link=Arizona Gardens has good pictures, and you can order from them if you're so inclined.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

i might be parinoid about this whole getting a plant thing but every single leaf on this plant is being like eaten its ugly theres holes all over and every picture of plants i see is amaving better what should i do or is it one of my fish the only one i can think thats doing it is my rainbow shark

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos